Check in or discard changes to a file on SharePoint

If you want to change a file that is located in a SharePoint library and you do not want other people to access it, you can check out the file. In this manner, you will know for sure that no one else can change the file while you are working on it. When you complete your edits and check the file back in to the SharePoint library, other people can see your changes. It also becomes available to them for check-out, if they have appropriate permissions. If you decide not to make or keep any changes in the file, you can discard your check-out so that you do not affect version history.

Important: You can save to a server that has Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 and Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010 installed. To work with SharePoint in Office for Mac, you have to have Microsoft Office for Mac Home and Business 2011, Microsoft Office for Mac Academic 2011, or Microsoft Office for Mac Standard 2011.

Do any of the following:

Check in changes to a file

Depending on the needs of your organization, your library may be set up to track only major versions. Or it may track both major and minor versions. If people in your group don't frequently work on several revisions, your organization may only want to track major versions. If many people work on files together and usually create several versions, your organization may want to track both major and minor versions. Providing two kinds of versions can help your team to better manage its content. People who work with the content can better understand the current status of a file. For example, a major version is usually one that is ready for a larger group to see and review, whereas a minor version is a draft that someone is still working on.

On the File menu, click Check In.

If you are prompted to choose which kind of version you are checking in, then your library is tracking both major and minor versions of files and you can do one of the following:

To update the file on the server and

Do this

Allow people to view and approve the changes

Click Major version (visible to anyone).

Create a draft copy of the file

Click Minor version (visible to people with permission to read).

Overwrite the current minor version

Click Overwrite existing (replace the file on the server).

Note: The version options also assign a number to the version that you are checking in. For example, 2.3 is the third minor version of a file that was published two times as a major version, and 3.0 is the next major version of that file.

To check in your changes but keep the file checked out, select the Keep file checked out after checking in this version check box.

Note: This option is available only if the document is in Open XML Format.

Under Version comments, enter a description of the changes that you made to the file, and then click Check In.

Discard check out

If you check out a file from a library on a site, make changes, and then decide you don't want to keep the changes that you made, you can undo the check-out. The changes that you made to the file after you checked it out are discarded, and the file is made available again for other people to edit.